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RAAF Base Wagga | |||||||||
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Forest Hill Near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in Australia | |||||||||
Location in New South Wales | |||||||||
Coordinates | 35°09′55″S 147°27′59″E / 35.16528°S 147.46639°E | ||||||||
Type | Military air base | ||||||||
Site information | |||||||||
Owner | Department of Defence | ||||||||
Operator | Royal Australian Air Force | ||||||||
Controlled by | City of Wagga Wagga (airfield only) | ||||||||
Website | RAAF Base Wagga | ||||||||
Site history | |||||||||
Built | 29 July 1940 | ||||||||
In use | 29 July 1940 | – present||||||||
Garrison information | |||||||||
Occupants | No. 31 Squadron RAAF | ||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||
Identifiers | IATA: WGA, ICAO: YSWG | ||||||||
Elevation | 221 metres (724 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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Source: Enroute Supplement Australia from Airservices Australia[1] |
RAAF Base Wagga (formerly RAAF Base Forest Hill)[2] is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base located 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south-east[1] of Wagga Wagga, in the suburb of Forest Hill, New South Wales, Australia.
The base is home to No 31 Squadron and Ground Academy (GA), including No 1 Recruit Training Unit (1RTU), the Air Force's basic recruit training school.[3] It is the main ground training base for RAAF Aviators of the technical, administration and logistics trades, as well as the location for initial courses for Administration and Logistics Officers. RAAF Wagga is also home to most Air Force Professional Military Education. In addition, Air Force, Army and Navy personnel undertake technical airworthiness training at the RAAF School of Technical Training (RAAFSTT).
The local Australian Air Force Cadets squadron, 332 SQN, hosts weekly parades on Tuesday nights at RAAF Base Wagga,[4] and 3 Wing Australian Air Force Cadets formerly used RAAF Base Wagga to hold their biannual promotion courses (in January and July until the end of 2022, then once more in July 2023).
Owned by the Government of Australia, the base is managed by the RAAF with the exception of the airfield that is leased to the City of Wagga Wagga. Although military aircraft still use the airfield, the airfield is now called Wagga Wagga Airport.[5]